Public Health Department80 State Highway 310
Suite #2
Canton, New York 13617-1476

Ph: 315-386-2325
Fx: 315-386-2203

Office Hours:

Monday - Friday 9 AM - 5 PM

(June, July & August: 8 AM - 4 PM)

St. Lawrence County Public Health Department

The St. Lawrence County Public Health Department has been serving the county since 1936. We offer a wide variety of health services and programs to county residents, geared toward improving both individual health and well being and that of the community.

Mission Statement:

To ensure thehealth, safety and quality of life for all St. Lawrence County residents. The department is dedicated to protecting thehealth of our community by:

Controlling the spread of disease;

Promoting healthy choices;

Providing timely health information;

Promoting thehealth and development of infants and children;

Plan for and help to mitigate any public health emergency.

The department’s philosophy is that prevention is better than a cure, healthy families need healthy environments, safety first must be a way of life, and that people must be empowered to take care of themselves.

April 6 -12, 2015

Ebola is a rare and deadly disease. The disease is caused by infection with one of the ebolaviruses (Ebola, Sudan, Bundibugyo, or Taï Forest virus). It is spread by direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with a sick person’s blood or body fluids (urine, saliva, feces, vomit, and semen). It is also spread by direct contact with objects (such as needles) that have been contaminated with the infected body fluids or infected animals.

NYSDOH Ebola information line: 1-800-861-2280

Trained operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This line is for public health information purposes only. If you require medical attention, call your health care provider or 9-1-1 immediately.

Vaccines: Our best defense:

Getting vaccinated is an easy way to stay healthy all year round. Take the time to make sure that you and your loved ones have received all of the vaccinations you need. By making sure your vaccinations are up to date, you can help prevent harmful diseases from affecting you and your family.

*** HEALTH ALERTS ***

Enterovirus D68 - Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is one of many non-polio enteroviruses. Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infections are thought to occur less commonly than infections with other enteroviruses. EV-D68 was first identified in California in 1962. Compared with other enteroviruses, EV-D68 has been rarely reported in the United States for the last 40 years.

Blue-Green Algal Bloom - Blue-green algae, technically known as cyanobacteria, are naturally present in lakes and streams in low numbers. Blue-green algae can form HABs that discolor the water or produce floating rafts or scums on the surface of the water. These can cause health risks to people and animals when they are exposed to them. Blue-green algae blooms can occur in freshwater lakes and ponds and can reduce the recreational value of a waterbody, due to unpleasant appearances and odors, and can cause a variety of ecological problems, such as reduced oxygen levels. They also have the potential to form harmful (toxic) blue-green algal blooms, although the factors that cause blue-green algae to produce toxins are not well understood.

Both Black Lake and Grass Lake are listed on the DEC site of having blooms.

Wild Parsnip - an invasive species that can cause a rash and blisters to the skin when exposed to sunlight. FOR MORE INFORMATION click the links below:

Giant Hogweed - is a Federally listed noxious weed. Its sap, in combination with moisture and sunlight, can cause severe skin and eye irritation, painful blistering, permanent scarring and blindness. FOR MORE INFORMATION click the link below:

*** Tdap/DTaP vaccine should be routinely promoted and provided before outbreaks occur.

New ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) recommendations with regards to Pertussis vaccination:

1) Tdap can be given to children between the ages of 7-10 (if under-immunized or their vaccination status is not known)

2) Adults 19 and oldr should receive a single dose of Tdap. This Tdap booster dose can replace one of the 10-year Td booster doses.

3) Pregnant women should get a dose of Tdap during each pregnancy, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks gestation. By getting Tdap during pregnancy, maternal pertussis antibodies transfer to the newborn, likely providing protection against pertussis in early life, before the baby starts getting DTaP vaccines. Tdap will also help protect the mother at time of delivery, making her less likely to transmit pertussis to her infant. It is important that all family members and caregivers of the infant are up-to-date with their pertussis vaccines (DTaP or Tdap, depending on age) before coming into close contact with the infant.

4) There is no longer a suggested minimum interval between receiving the tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine and the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine.